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You can find the current article at its original source at https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2019/feb/21/actor-jussie-smollett-arrested-in-chicago-say-police
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| Jussie Smollett staged attack because he was unhappy with salary, police say | Jussie Smollett staged attack because he was unhappy with salary, police say |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| The actor Jussie Smollett claimed he was attacked and beaten by two masked men shouting racist and homophobic slurs because he was “dissatisfied with his salary” on the TV show Empire, Chicago police have said. | The actor Jussie Smollett claimed he was attacked and beaten by two masked men shouting racist and homophobic slurs because he was “dissatisfied with his salary” on the TV show Empire, Chicago police have said. |
| Trump targets Jussie Smollett over what police say was fake attack – live updates | Trump targets Jussie Smollett over what police say was fake attack – live updates |
| Smollett “took advantage of the pain and anger of racism to promote his career”, Chicago police superintendent Eddie Johnson said at a news conference on Thursday morning, shortly after Smollett was arrested. “This publicity stunt was a scar that Chicago didn’t earn and certainly didn’t deserve,” Johnson added. | |
| Smollett, 36, ignited a firestorm on social media by telling police on 29 January that two apparent supporters of Donald Trump had struck him, put a noose around his neck and poured bleach over him. | Smollett, 36, ignited a firestorm on social media by telling police on 29 January that two apparent supporters of Donald Trump had struck him, put a noose around his neck and poured bleach over him. |
| Johnson said Smollett paid two men $3,500 to stage the attack, and the scratches and bruising Smollett had on his face after the incident were “most likely self-inflicted”. He said the actor also sent a racist and homophobic threatening letter to himself at the Fox studio lot in Chicago, where Empire is filmed. | Johnson said Smollett paid two men $3,500 to stage the attack, and the scratches and bruising Smollett had on his face after the incident were “most likely self-inflicted”. He said the actor also sent a racist and homophobic threatening letter to himself at the Fox studio lot in Chicago, where Empire is filmed. |
| The actor, who is gay, handed himself in to police on Thursday morning after he was charged with felony disorderly conduct on Wednesday for making a false police report. The charge could bring up to three years in prison. It could also force Smollett to pay for the cost of the investigation into his report. | |
| Smollett is expected to appear in court later on Thursday. His lawyers did not immediately comment on the news conference, but had previously said the actor “enjoys the presumption of innocence”. | Smollett is expected to appear in court later on Thursday. His lawyers did not immediately comment on the news conference, but had previously said the actor “enjoys the presumption of innocence”. |
| The companies that make Empire, Fox Entertainment and 20th Century Fox Television, issued a statement on Thursday saying they were “evaluating the situation” and “considering our options”. | The companies that make Empire, Fox Entertainment and 20th Century Fox Television, issued a statement on Thursday saying they were “evaluating the situation” and “considering our options”. |
| 'You are loved': Jussie Smollett attack leads to outpouring of support | |
| In less than a month, Smollett went from receiving an outpouring of support for being the apparent victim of a hate crime, to being accused of fabricating the entire scenario. | In less than a month, Smollett went from receiving an outpouring of support for being the apparent victim of a hate crime, to being accused of fabricating the entire scenario. |
| Initial reports of the assault drew outrage and support for him on social media, including from California senator Kamala Harris and the TV talkshow host Ellen DeGeneres. | Initial reports of the assault drew outrage and support for him on social media, including from California senator Kamala Harris and the TV talkshow host Ellen DeGeneres. |
| Trump also condemned the reported attack and said: “It doesn’t get on worse, as far as I’m concerned.” | Trump also condemned the reported attack and said: “It doesn’t get on worse, as far as I’m concerned.” |
| .@JussieSmollett - what about MAGA and the tens of millions of people you insulted with your racist and dangerous comments!? #MAGA | |
| But on Thursday Trump tweeted to Smollett: “What about MAGA and the tens of millions of people you insulted with your racist and dangerous comments!?” | But on Thursday Trump tweeted to Smollett: “What about MAGA and the tens of millions of people you insulted with your racist and dangerous comments!?” |
| Smollett, who plays a gay character in the hit Fox show, had said he was attacked as he was walking home at 2am from a downtown Subway sandwich shop. He said the masked men beat him, made derogatory comments and yelled “This is Maga country”, an apparent reference to Trump’s campaign slogan, before fleeing. | Smollett, who plays a gay character in the hit Fox show, had said he was attacked as he was walking home at 2am from a downtown Subway sandwich shop. He said the masked men beat him, made derogatory comments and yelled “This is Maga country”, an apparent reference to Trump’s campaign slogan, before fleeing. |
| But doubts about Smollett’s claims started with reports that he had not fully cooperated with police after telling authorities he was attacked. Then detectives in a city bristling with surveillance cameras could not find video of the attack. | But doubts about Smollett’s claims started with reports that he had not fully cooperated with police after telling authorities he was attacked. Then detectives in a city bristling with surveillance cameras could not find video of the attack. |
| Johnson said Smollett believed the hoax attack would have been captured by one of Chicago’s many security cameras, but “that particular camera wasn’t pointed in that direction.” | Johnson said Smollett believed the hoax attack would have been captured by one of Chicago’s many security cameras, but “that particular camera wasn’t pointed in that direction.” |
| After reviewing hundreds of hours of video, detectives did find and release images of two people they said they wanted to question and last week picked up the brothers at O’Hare airport as they returned from Nigeria. Police questioned the men and searched their apartment. | After reviewing hundreds of hours of video, detectives did find and release images of two people they said they wanted to question and last week picked up the brothers at O’Hare airport as they returned from Nigeria. Police questioned the men and searched their apartment. |
| Two brothers, who were identified by their attorney as Abimbola “Abel” and Olabinjo “Ola” Osundairo, were taken into custody for questioning last week but were released after two days, with police saying they were no longer suspects, and that they had seen a “significant shift in the trajectory” of the investigation. | Two brothers, who were identified by their attorney as Abimbola “Abel” and Olabinjo “Ola” Osundairo, were taken into custody for questioning last week but were released after two days, with police saying they were no longer suspects, and that they had seen a “significant shift in the trajectory” of the investigation. |
| From hate crime to hoax? How Jussie Smollett's strange story unravelled | |
| The brothers testified before a grand jury on Wednesday. Police said one of the men had appeared on Empire, and Smollett’s attorneys said one of the men was the actor’s personal trainer, whom he hired to help get him in shape for a music video. The actor released his debut album, Sum of My Music, last year. | The brothers testified before a grand jury on Wednesday. Police said one of the men had appeared on Empire, and Smollett’s attorneys said one of the men was the actor’s personal trainer, whom he hired to help get him in shape for a music video. The actor released his debut album, Sum of My Music, last year. |
| Smollett was charged by prosecutors, not the grand jury, on Wednesday. The police spokesman said the brothers appeared before the panel to “lock in their testimony”. | Smollett was charged by prosecutors, not the grand jury, on Wednesday. The police spokesman said the brothers appeared before the panel to “lock in their testimony”. |
| Speaking outside the courthouse where the grand jury met, the brothers’ attorney said the two men testified for about two and a half hours. | Speaking outside the courthouse where the grand jury met, the brothers’ attorney said the two men testified for about two and a half hours. |
| “There was a point where this story needed to be told, and they manned up and they said we’re going to correct this,” Gloria Schmidt said. She said her clients did not care about a plea deal or immunity. “You don’t need immunity when you have the truth,” she said. | “There was a point where this story needed to be told, and they manned up and they said we’re going to correct this,” Gloria Schmidt said. She said her clients did not care about a plea deal or immunity. “You don’t need immunity when you have the truth,” she said. |
| Associated Press and Reuters contributed to this report | Associated Press and Reuters contributed to this report |
| Chicago | Chicago |
| US crime | US crime |
| Empire | Empire |
| news | news |
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